EASTSIDE DAILY NEWS EVALUATION
All newspapers contain codes and conventions to create a particular look, it doesn't matter whether the newspaper is regional or national they will all contain them. Throughout the newspaper codes and conventions will be present to carry the individual look throughout the paper. Before I produced my newspaper I looked into what codes and conventions other newspapers have used. Codes are the theoretical elements of the newspaper and include things such as:
· Mastheads
· Columns
· Font
· Headlines
· Captions
· By lines
· Introductions
· Flashes
· Adverts
· Lighting
Conventions include:· Layout
· Size
· Props used in the pictures
· Stock characters used in the pictures
· The setting of the picture
· The way that the audience is registered
The second newspaper that i looked at when doing my research was the Eastern Daily Press (EDP), this is known to be a right winged newspaper and to support the Conservatives. The EDP also uses various codes and conventions. Firstly the Masthead is in Blue, this colour is stereotypically related to the conservative government, by the newspaper containing a lot of blue it shows that the newspaper supports the conservative government. The newspaper also contains a strap line ‘Britains regional newspaper of the year’ by the strap line including ‘regional’ it highlights the point that it covers news from around East Anglia. The newspaper follows the same pattern as the Evening news by using columns, this again makes it easier for the reader to follow, the difference between the two newspapers is that this one includes a quote which breaks the columns up even more. There are a variety of fonts used in this newspaper, the headline is in a large blocked font making it bold and stand out against the rest of the newspaper, the subheading is in a smaller font and then the rest of the article is in an even smaller font, the headline gives the reader an insight into what the article will be about. The main pictures is of 4 children dressed up as fairys, this highlights the point that the newspaper supports family values just like the conservative government. The caption of the newspaper refers the reader onto another page, by having the picture on the front page it engages the reader to read on. There is only one advert on this newspaper and it can be found in the bottom left hand corner, by having it in the corner it doesn’t distract the readers attention away from the rest of the article unlike the first newspaper. The lighting that has been used in the picture is natural. Following on codes have also been used throughout the newspaper. To begin with the layout of this newspaper is different to the Evening News, in this newspaper the picture is displayed at the top of the newspaper rather than at the side, the main article is placed underneath the picture rather than next to it. The pictures contains 4 children dressed up as fairys, this represents the innocence of the children by being dressed up, it also highlights the point of the newspaper supporting family values. The readers are registered as ‘us’ this suggests that they are part of a group, this makes the audience feel as if they are part of the team, and that they share the same attitudes and values. The Hegemonic theory is used here, the newspaper editor is in charge and control of the readers ideas and opinions, by saying ‘we’ it shows that the editor is making the reader agree with them.
The third and final newspaper that i researched into was The Mirror, this newspaper is known to support Labour. The colours which are used are mainly red, this suggests that the newspaper supports Labour views. Flattering words have also been used such as ‘Exclusive’ will draw the reader in as it suggests that the article and picture in this newspaper will not be seen anywhere else. The columns in this newspaper are shorter and have been placed at the bottom of the page. The font of the Headline is very big, which suggests that they are trying to make this the main point in the newspaper, it is in bold and stands out against the picture. Out of all the newspaper that i have looked into this is the only one to contain a flash, the flash says ‘more mad pictures inside’ this will draw the reader in, by seeing the word ‘mad’ it will attract the reader in to see what mad things the future King has gotten up to. The layout of this newspaper is different to the others, the picture is the has been placed at the top of the front page, the headline is placed underneath the picture and because it is bold and in black font it catches the readers attention, the rest of the article is in smaller font and is at the bottom right of the page. the characters that are included in the picture is of the future King and Queen of the United Kingdom, by using a celebrity on the front it will attract readers to the newspaper because the reader will want to see what is happening in the celebrity world. The setting is in a nightclub which suggests that they are celebrating something, this again will attract the
Before i produced my poster i also looked into numerous poster that newspaper companies make to advertise their newspaper. The first one that i look at was Metro, to begin with the strap line is ‘hard hitting news’ not only is it catchy and will attract the audience’s attention but it also relates to the newspaper hitting the girl on the head. The character used is of a female, she has her tongue in the corner of her mouth, this suggests that she is using a seductive pose to draw the readers to the newspaper. This is also known as male gaze, it is making the lady look like a sex object, she has red lips which is stereotypically related to being sexy. Also by the girl looking like she is bleeding from her mouth it represents violence which indulges the male audience. The colours which have been used are black and white this makes the girl stand out against the background with the use of colour on her face, this makes her the main feature of the newspaper. The prop which has been used in the poster is a newspaper, this shows the item in which they are advertising (the Metro newspaper.)
Another poster that i looked at advertises The Guardian newspaper. With this newspaper they go against the hegenomic theory by saying ‘listening to lost of different views rather than just one means that you can decided for yourself, instead of being told what to think. Dont you agree? You dont have to of course.’ Although the newspaper is going against the heganomic theory by saying you dont have to agree with them, it subtly makes you feel guilty if you dont by using the word ‘You’ it as if they are singling out you as an individual. The font that has been used is the same but it different colours, the use of different colours makes it stand out. The prop which has been used is of a mouse used on the computer, this is showing that there is more than one way of being able to read the newspaper, they have also included the website address making it easy for the reader to see.
The last poster that i looked at for the Metro again, firstly the font that they have used can be easily seen from a distance, the colour white, makes it stand out from the dark background making it one of the main features on the page. following on the strap line as ‘travel to work with your favourite celebrities’ relates to the rest of the codes and conventions that have been used. Firstly the characters that have been used are both men, this suggests that it is aimed at males, by one of the males being a picture of a celebrity with the caption of ‘sports’ it highlights the point that it is a male magazine by having David Beckham as one of the main character who men look up to, and by having sports mentioned, they are two things that are stereotypically realted to men, proving that it is aimed at men. By having the setting as a bus stop, if fits in with the strap line about travelling to work, this shows that the newspaper can be used on the go.
As well as researching into newspapers and posters i have also looked into
Websites. The first one that I looked at was EDP, at the top of the website it had the masthead with the strap line ‘Britain’s regional newspaper of the year.’ The website is designed in columns, you have a section for the ‘latest Norfolk News’ and another column for ‘todays top stories’, in the far left hand corner you have hyperlinks to other pages as well as the bar at the top. On the right handside of the page you have hyperlink adverts to promote other companies. The font is the same throughout the website, the headlines have been done in a larger font and are bold, with the introductions in the same font but smaller. On the hyperlinks it says ‘My’ this suggests that the reader has there on space within the website, making them feel part of what is happening around Norfolk. In the pictures that have used they have used people who relate to the article, following on, the pictures around the outer side of the article relate to what the hyperlink page will go to, for example the hyperlink to go to their wedding website contains a picture to two ring interlinked, this realtes to the subject they are talking about.
The final website that i looked at was The Guardian, the first think that you notice on this website is picture, the background of the picture is blurred making the young boy on the front stand out, you can see an explosion in the background, this all relates to the headline that is in bold blue font, the introduction to what the article is about is in a smaller font and is black, this hints to the reader what the article will be about. Down the right hand side of the page they hve created adverts that direct the reader to other parts of their website, the pictures that they have used relate to the hyperlinked page.
With my Newspaper i felt that it was important to use elements in what other established newspapers use to make it look professional. The first thing that I have used is a Masthead, i decided to call mine ‘Eastside Daily News’ the reason for this that i felt that it was a catchy name, and not only that because it will be a regional newspaper, i chose the colour font to be a dark pink because this colour is stereotypically related to women. i decided to have Eastside in the title showing that it is an Eastern Newspaper. for the strap line i decided to have this in a pale pink top represent my chosen market. I have decided to split my article up into columns, this is to make it easier for the reader to follow, i have also decided to use a quote to separate the article even more and to add a bit of variety. The headline is in a large, bold font, this is to make it stand out against the rest of the article and to make it eye-catching, i have done the introduction to the article in a smaller font however i have also left this bold, this is to hightlight the fact the it is still important information but it does not need to attract the readers attentions as this has been done by the headline, the intpduction will give the reader an insight into what the rest of the article will be about. The pictures that i have used relate to the article. The main picture is of a building site, which fits in with the article about the houses being built across East Anglia, the props in the background are of building equipment which shows that it The other picture is of the Fashion Show, this relates to the article inside on page 2, i have included a reference so that the reader can easily follow. By having this picture on the front, it will engage the reader to read on.
To advertise my newspaper i have decided to create a poster, all of the pictures i have used are of a variety of women to highlight my point of the newspaper being aimed at women. I have also decided to incorporate an arrow into my poster pointing right to highlight the fact that my newspaper is based on conservative values. The conservative government are known to be right-winged, this is why i have incorporated the arrow into my poster. The Masthead on my poster is the same colour as the one on newspaper, i have decided to do this so that the projects have somthing in common can can easily be linked together. The strap line ‘Many Views. One direction.’uses the hegemonic theory, by me being the editor of the productions i have control of people views and opinions. By me saying many views one direction it is stating that although we may have different views they will all support thr conservative values. By highlighting words such as ‘Free’, ‘your’ and ‘one’ it makes the reader feel that the newspaper is worthwhile getting, by using the word free it makes the reader feel valued and makes them believe that they are getting something back for purchasing the newspaper. By using the word ‘your’ it makes the reader feel as if we are specifically talking to them, this makes them feel valued, as they feel that we are taking the time in bothering with them individually, also the words ‘one’ shows that the newspaper is unique by having lots of qualities in one production.
Finally my website also used a number of codes and conventions. Firstly i have carried on using the same strap line and masthead as i have on the other two projects this interlinks them altogether. Most of the websites that i researched have 4 columns, i wanted mine to be different an therefore decided to only have 3, the first one is for other hyperlink pages that i have creates, my second one is for the news headline themselves with the third being adverts. I wanted the adverts to be placed on one side, as i felt with the other wesbites that it distracted the reader away from what they were reading. All of the headline have been put into a deep red, this is to make them stand out against the background and to draw attention to them, the introduction has been done in a smaller black font, this gives the reader an insight into what they can expect from the article. I have also included captions under the pictures, this is to tell the reader what the pictures are about and to tell them which article the pictures relate to. In the pictures i have tried to use props that relate to the article, the main story is about the houses that are being built and therefore just like the newspaper i have included a similar picture of a building site with building equipment in it, this is so that it fits in with the article. The second picture is of the fashion show, i have decided to use lighting that would be used at a fashion show to try and get the same effect as you would if the picture had been taken at a fashion show.
Before i made my newspaper, poster and wesbite i handed out a questionnaire to find out what people liked to find in a newspaper and to establish what would attract readers to my newspaper. I handed the questionnaire out to women to see what news they liked to read about and what interests they had, this would help me to produce articles around their intrestes. I wanted my newspaper to be different to others and focus on news in which the audience would actually want to read about. I handed the questionnaire out to 100 women of all ages to see what they would like my newspaper to include. From the results that i got i found out that:
· Women like topics such as fashion, hair and beauty as well as diets.
· The target audience do not like to read about topics such as sports.
· Bright colours such as pinks and yellows will attract the reader.
After i produced my draft of my 3 projects i decided to hold a focus group, so that i could show people my design and to see what they thought was good about my project and what they felt should be improved. With my newspaper the respondents said that the picture of the field didn’t relate well to the main article and felt that it needed to be changed, they also felt that the main headline wasn’t catchy enough and that if i wanted to get people to pick my newspaper that i would need to come up with something that would catch the viewers attention. They like the picture of the Fashion Show, they said that it intrigued them to read on to see why the people on the front were dressed in formal wear and to see how it related to the rest of the article. They also said that they liked the choice of colours that i have used and they felt that it represented my target audience well. With the poster they suggested that i should change the black and white picture to a coloured one as it did not fit in with the rest of the poster, to promote the newspaper they thought that i should add some information about what would be included in the newspaper, they liked how i had made the word ‘One’ have a pink highlight around it and how i had incorporated the arrow pointing right to shows that it is a conservative newspaper. As for the website they said they liked the tabs that i have created that linked to different pages, they liked the fact that i had used a variety of images that are different to the ones seen in the newspaper. To improve the newspaper they said that i should create more space and make the website look less cramped. They liked the fact that all 3 of my projects had used similar colours throughout all the pieces to relate all 3 productions together, they liked the fact that they were stereotypically female colours and that it promoted the newspaper as being targeted at females.
While producing my three media product I have to use a variety of technologies to not only produce the items but to also edit them, analyse them and evaluate them. With all 3 parts of my coursework I needed to take pictures to promote what was being show in the articles. For this I needed to use a variety of technologies. To take the pictures I used a Nikon Coolpix camera, this camera contained a different strengths of zoom, which meant that i could select specific details that i would want to be shown in the picture. It was important for me to be able to edit the pictures so that I could cut out bits which I felt did not need to be included in the picture. For the editing I used a number of programmes including Picaso and Paint. For my newspaper and poster i decided to use Microsoft Publisher, i had used this programme before and i felt by using this i would be able to make my productions look professional, it also meant that i could save time and used something that i have already learnt about rather than having to learn something new. For my first draft of my website i used a programme called Mediator 9, i had never used this programme and it meant that i was experimenting with new technology, i didn’t like how my website looked once i had finished my first draft, so i decided to restart it on Microsoft Publisher, i had not used this programme before to create a website however i knew the basics on how to produce the information that was needed. By experimenting with this programme i found out how to create a webpage and i fell that it is better than my first draft. For my evaluation, I decided to use two different technologies. For my draft I decided that I would produce it on Microsoft Word, this is so that I could put all of my evaluation onto one document and easily transport it on to another type of technology such as the internet. By producing it in Word it also means that I can access it quickly and easily without needing the internet to get onto it, and change what I have written where appropriate. After I had fully completed my evaluation stage I decided to transfer all of it onto a blog, this is so that all of the information can be put together making it not only look neater but making it easier to follow. Also by placing it onto a blog it also means that it will fit the brief to be shown electronically.
There are a few things that I would do differently if I was to do this project again. With the newspaper, I would have included more stories that affect the whole country rather than just focusing on regional news, this would then increase the target market as well. i would have focused on writing about negative stories affecting society because bad news is more newsworthy that good news. With the poster i would have used a variety people to take pictures of, I would have tried to of taken pictures from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds and religion; this would again make my products appeal to a wider audience. With the website I would have made the background image bigger in which I built the website off. The website that I have produced has limited space; if I was to do this again I would increase the area that is available so that everything is more spaced out and not on top of each other. I would also refer to elite persons more; containing information about celebrities is likely to attract people to my newspaper.
Overall I am pleased with the 3 products that I have produced. I am most pleased with my newspaper as I feel that I have done exactly what I wanted, I wanted it to be aimed at women and to include things which interest them, which I have done through the topics which I have decided to include.
